Sobbing
/ˈsɒbɪŋ/noun
The act of crying with deep, convulsive breaths and broken sounds.
Did you know?The verb sob is an expressive word of imitative origin, meaning English basically built the word from the sound of the breath breaking under emotion.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
English
sobian
“to sob, weep with broken breaths”
Middle English
English
sobben
“to sob or cry aloud”
16th Century
English
sob
“a convulsive cry with inhaled and exhaled breaths”
Modern English
English
sobbing
“the act of crying in broken, breathy gasps”